Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 128417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
“Will do,” Josh says. “Thanks again.”
“Thank you!” I call out to Kaitlyn’s back just before she slips out the door.
Josh turns to me. “How cool was that? I just had a sword fight with a real-life dominatrix.”
“How’d you hook up with her?” I ask, an alarming thought beginning to creep into my head. “Is she a friend of yours?”
Josh rolls his eyes. “Cool your jets, Madame Terrorist. Kaitlyn’s a friend of Reed’s. I’ve never used her services.” He laughs. “And to answer your next question, no, Reed’s not a client of hers, either. They’re just friends. Reed knows everyone in L.A.—well, anyone who’s interesting.” He beams a huge smile at me. “So, my sexy little sex-slave, are you ready to keep going with our porno? We’ve still got the third and final act to perform, you may recall: The Big Reveal.”
I smile broadly. “Ooh la la. The Revelation. Yes.”
“Any last words before we get back into character?”
I think for a minute. There are definitely words I’m dying to say to Josh, three little words to be exact, but I can’t do it. They’re magic words a girl simply can’t be the first to say in a relationship.
“Nope. I’m good,” I say. “Proceed.”
“Quiet on the porn set!” Josh yells over his shoulder to an imaginary crew. “And... action.” He crawls onto the bed and cups my cheek in his palm. “Are you hungry, Katherine?”
“Yes, Master Joshua. Starving.”
Josh reaches down next to the bed, retrieves a small cooler, and pulls out a sandwich in a Ziplock baggie.
“Aw,” I say. “From Justin to Kelly. You made me an orgasm-inducing peanut butter and jelly sandwich? So sweet.”
“Wouldn’t want my sex-slave going hungry.” He grins. “I’ve got an apple and some chips for you, too, if you want ’em.”
“You’re the sweetest sex-slave-master, ever. Thank you. I was ready to eat my hand when we got back from hiking. Now I’m ready to eat both arms.”
He breaks off a bite-sized piece of the sandwich and feeds it to me.
“Whoa,” I say, chewing the sandwich with gusto. “You told the truth—I just came.”
Josh laughs.
“Why is this sandwich so good? Did you lace it with something illegal?”
“Nope. Just organic strawberry jam.”
He feeds me another bite.
“This sandwich is so frickin’ good,” I say, “it’s giving me Munchausen syndrome.”
Josh chuckles. “No, babe. Not Munchausen syndrome. That’s when you poison someone slowly just so you can keep being their caretaker.”
“Oh.” I giggle.
He chuckles. “You’re so cute.”
“So what did I mean, then?”
“Stockholm syndrome, I think.”
“Is that where someone held captive falls in love with their captor?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he says.
“Okay, then, yeah. That’s what I have for sure.”
We both stare at each other for an awkward beat.
Oh shit. I think I just told Josh I’m in love with him.
He feeds me another bite of sandwich but doesn’t say anything for a long beat.
“Water?” he finally asks, his voice tight.
“What?” My cheeks feel flushed. I just told him I love him in a clever sort of backhanded-code, didn’t I?
Josh holds up the water bottle. “Thirsty?”
“Oh. Yeah. Thank you.”
He holds the bottle to my lips and I take a long guzzle, my heart racing. Damn. I wish I’d told him more clearly than that, in a way that would have left no doubt. I shouldn’t have been so subtle. I should have said, “This sandwich is so good, it made me fall deeply in love with you, Joshua William Faraday.” But I didn’t. I left it vague. “Yeah, that’s what I have,” I said—and nothing more. Idiot. And now the moment has passed.
“Chips?” Josh asks.
“What kind?”
“Doritos.” He holds up a little red bag. “Original flavor.”
“Thank you.”
He pops a chip into my mouth and then into his own. “Fuck you, Jonas—I eat what I want—although I must admit I feel kinda bad I’m chowing down on Doritos while gourmet meals are sitting in my fridge.”
“How about we eat Jonas’ food tomorrow night?” I say. “We can stay in and rent a movie.”
“Awesome. Yeah, a quiet night at home with my Party Girl with a Hyphen sounds damned good. More water, babe?”
I shake my head. “I’m good. I’m done.”
“You ready to keep going with the porno?”
I nod.
“Cool. I’ve got my entire speech ready for act three.” He stows the remaining food in the cooler. “Give me my cue, babe,” he says softly. “I’m gonna slay it.”
I clear my throat. “Untie me, Joshua,” I whisper. “I don’t want to be a prisoner anymore. I need my freedom.”
Josh touches my cheek tenderly. “Katherine, when I absconded with you, all I cared about was making you mine, through any means necessary. All I cared about was what I wanted. But now, even though I want you more than ever, I care too much about you to keep you as my prisoner anymore. Now the thing I want more than my own happiness is yours.” He touches the cleft in my chin.